Arizona Books

Roger Parloff's "Triple Jeopardy" should be required reading for any American interested in our system of justice. It should be included in the curriculum of all law schools. And any trial attorney who isn't familiar with this case is at a great disadvantage. By far, one of the best books on modern American criminal justice. And anyone who is still convinced, after reading the Knapp case, that the death penalty is justified, should just read this book once more ! Beautifully written. Brilliantly analyzed . A real treasure. Take a chance and read it. You will not regret it.

This is a fascinating set of papers describing the plants and animals of North America's northernmost tropical deciduous forest--Alamos is less than a day's drive from southern Arizona. Birders will find in Steve Russell's chapter with its useful tabular checklists perhaps the most valuable print resource available treating the avifauna of this site.

A PROFEX Monograph

This book uses conflict as a unifying theme to examine historical and contemporary relationships in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Well into the twentieth century, Mexico and the United States faced many troublesome issues at the border that often erupted into armed confrontation. Settling the final boundary between the two countries in itself caused long-term contentiousness, leaving a legacy of bitterness on both sides, but particularly in Mexico. Unauthorized armed incursions from the United States into Mexico for the purpoe of formenting revolution and detaching land from the latter country likewise created serious friction. The border partitioned a distinguishable geographic and cultural region inhabited by Indians and Mexicans, creating untold predicaments for both groups. Indian raids across the border became a source of international strife until the 1880s. For Mexicans who remained south of the boundary as well as for those who became Mexican Americans by virtue of their incorporation into the United States, the border shaped frontier life-styles that differed markedly from those of the mainstream societies in each nation. After discussing each of these themes, the author provides an overview of current-day border issues. The book concludes with general comments that place the U.S.-Mexico border experience in perspective.
--- from editor's introductory notes

This book brings back many memories of my visits to Canyon De Chelly. The poetry and prose are descriptive of the feel of the area and the thoughts and emotions they generate. The photos are very nicely done and arranged.

They both give you a brief glimpse into the grandeur, charm, depth, majesty, sorrow, resiliency and soul of this amazing place and its inhabitants ancient and modern.

After the Grand Canyon, Canyon De Chelly is the place I most often recommend to visitors to Arizona. If you cannot visit Canyon De Chelly, I suggest getting this book. If you have been there, this book would make a great memento.

I am trying very hard to get your attention and this is the only way I know to do it. Images of America: Tucson Arizona is a great book. I know because I wrote it. I do not have such an ego that I want to review my book. However, when I type in my name as the Author --"Jane Eppinga" it says that the Tucson book is not yet published. IT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED FOR OVER TWO MONTHS. Could someone update this information? Sincerely Jane Eppinga

This is the latest version of Tucson Audubon Society's venerable bird-finding guide to southeast Arizona. It's a worthwhile update of a worthy guide. And it will get you around one of the most exciting birding regions in the entire country.

The "Davis & Russell" name has been dropped, but the format is the same as the two prior editions from 1995 and 1999- spiral bound, geograhpically arranged site coverage (no loop trips as in ABA/Lane guides- better for some, not so for others) and excellent seasonal bar graphs/annotated checklist.

The directions to each site are generally very clear and easy to follow. Each site has key bird species expected there listed.

The only competition for this book is the ABA/Lane guide by Richard C. Taylor. Both are useful and recommended. If you "need" loop trips, buy Taylor's book. If you find that format pesky when you deviate from the loop buy this book. If you want coverage of more individual sites, buy this book. If you want the most accurate bar graphs, buy this book.

Forward by Kenn Kaufman!

UPDATE: The new 7th edition just arrived on shelves in September 2007. It's identifiable by the Violet-crowned Hummingbird on the cover.

This book is a well-written and highly detailed review of the law enforcement situation in the Southwestern frontier. It enlightens the reader about the levels of pioneer law enforcement (city, county, territorial) and their intertwined responsibilities or lack thereof. The background has been researched almost to a fault. If you are an 'early western' afficionado and/or the kind of person who likes to pour over microfiche reals of old newspapers and other minutiae at the local library, then is a must read. Larry Ball brings just enough western outlawry and criminal intrigue to his writing to keep it entertaining, although there are areas that bog down, especially when it comes to reporting on expense reimbursements and political appointments. However, the author demonstrates how these aspects are examples of the necessary evils in fighting crime on the frontier. The notes and references guide the casual reader and the scholar to their respective areas of interest and further reading. 315 pp., Univ. of New Mexico Press (1978).

Dr. Borland takes you, as a visitor, to see current festivals enacted in Masaya, Nicaragua. She begins with the St. Jerome festival and then explains the torovenada masquerades (including the Ahuizotes of Monimobo), the transvestitite Negras marimba dances, and the wagon pilgrimage of Popoyuapa. But unlike being a tourist viewing these events, Dr. Borland helps unmask them--letting you see the history, the politics, the class and gender complexities, and even how the "traditional" religious worship is more a contemporary idealization than a historical tradition. She is clearly a talented folklorist using appropriate ethnographic tools for the description and analysis.

Any collection strong in biological science - particularly college-level holdings - will want UNNATURAL LANDSCAPES: it blends science writing and research with first-person stories of adventure to provide a lively introduction to invasion ecology and restoration management, and uses the author's own kayak trips as a basis for considering invasive species in the Southwest and Mexico regions. Her journeys read like a blend of scientific investigation and travelogue and thus serve as a fitting introduction to habitat management issues.

This superb volume, as a result of yeoman duty by its editors, has gathered results from the latest space probes, interpreted by the most expert astronomers available. Although I have NO formal training in astronomy whatsoever (I'm an interested layperson in the field), I found the articles clear in exposition, fascinating in content, and documented with commendable care. In cases where competing theories are hotly debated (e.g., the origin of the coronae on satellites of Uranus), the authors frankly state their own preferred explanation, admit its weaknesses as well as its strengths, acknowledge the merits of rival conjectures, and refer the reader to appropriate sources for further detail. Therefore, this volume not only summarizes current knowledge, but also illustrates science as it should be practiced -- a dispassionate search for correct understanding of Nature.